Not applicable.
The invention relates to an algae extract comprising halogenated organic compounds, and to use of this extract as an antibacterial, bacteriostatic or bactericidal, and/or antifungal, fungistatic or fungicidal agent.
Some algae are known to have antibacterial or antifungal action. These are the Rhodophycea in particular, but also include Chlorophycea and Pheophycea. Among the Rhodophycea, the algae belonging to the Bonnemaisoniacea, in particular the algae of the Asparagopsis species, are known to have remarkable antibacterial and antifungal action. In this respect, reference can be made to the document entitled xe2x80x9cFixed algae of the French Atlantic Coast containing antibacterial and antifungal substancesxe2x80x9d (J. F. Biard et al, Planta medica, Journal of Medicinal Plant Research, 1980, supplement, pages 136-151).
Asparagopsis Armata is a sea alga that is most often epiphyte which originally came from Australia or New Zealand. This alga has existed in the Northern hemisphere since the 1920""s and it can be found in England, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy and Morocco where it nevertheless grows in very scattered, unstable populations to depths of up to ten metres. It is one of the reasons why industrial use of the halogenated organic compounds that these algae contain, hand-picked in their natural habitat, has not been considered.
A further reason is given in an article entitled xe2x80x9cHalogen chemistry of the red alga Asparagopsisxe2x80x9d (Olivier McConnell and Willliam Fenical, Phytochemistry, 1977, vol. 16, pages 367-374). The halogenated organic compounds of the algae which, according to the article""s authors, account for their antibacterial and antifungal action, comprise 1 to 4 carbon atoms and are very volatile. This is why the authors only describe one complex method for extracting these compounds, a laboratory-conducted method, in which the volatile molecules are expelled in a stream of hot air, followed by multi-solvent, controlled extraction.
The applicant, however, has developed a culture technique using microcuttings, described in French patent application no 95 03577 filed on Mar. 22, 1995. With this technique, it is possible to obtain a substantial quantity of Asparagopsis algae in a short time which can be used at industrial level.
Having regard to the above, one problem which the invention sets out to solve is to obtain a clarified extract of algae by means of a method which may be applied at industrial level using a substantial quantity of algae, and to use such method to obtain a composition having antibacterial and/or antifungal activity.
One solution to this problem consists of conducting a clarification operation by filtering the intracellular content of the algae, such as to obtain a permeate having a molecular fraction containing molecules with a molecular weight of more than 10000, said fraction being, at least in part, responsible for the antibacterial or antifungal action.
Therefore, the object of the invention is use of a clarified algae extract to obtain a composition having antibacterial and/or antifungal activity, said extract being obtained in accordance with a method comprising the stages of release of the intracellular content of the algae cells and clarification by filtering of said intracellular content with a view to obtaining a clarified filtration permeate, said extract comprising a molecular fraction containing halogenated organic molecules having a molecular weight of more than 10000.
Also, said extract may be used to obtain a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical composition.
Not applicable.